An Observatory is a ‘situation or structure commanding a wide view, with the ability to observe from an elevated position’.  What this means for us is the creation of a function with the capacity to ‘observe’ the health, social and economic information available in the region: who is collecting it and how, who needs to gain access to it, and who has the potential to contribute. But the Observatory will do much more than observe what is going on.

The Observatory will also be an active network, made up of all the people who supply information to inform public policy, putting them in touch with each other and disseminating their work.